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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. degree — temperature
  5. prune — to trim
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a grade
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — size or range
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com